A scaffolder has explained why he spent Christmas in Tenerife with his mates, leaving his wife behind in the UK. Dan, a construction worker from Essex, travelled to the Canary Islands with two friends for a week-long break, while his wife Natalia stayed at home.
Dan told the Mirror that Natalia was not happy about the trip, but he felt obliged to go because one of his friends was in temporary accommodation after a flood and had no family for Christmas. 'She actually did mind me going. She didn't want me to go. But my mate's house had been flooded... I said I'd go to Tenerife with him and another guy from work - as they wouldn't go just those two,' he said.
The group flew out on Christmas Eve and returned on New Year's Eve, with return flights costing just £261 each. They stayed in a house in Los Realejos on the quieter, cheaper north side of the island, paying £1,118.40 for three people for six nights. They hired a car for £271.80 to reach tourist hotspots like Playa de Las Américas.
On Christmas Day, the three lads enjoyed 23°C sunshine and a 'sea of fellow Brits' on the beach. They had a pint at a restaurant and tried to find a traditional Christmas dinner, but everywhere was fully booked. Eventually, they settled for Thai red curry at an Asian restaurant with a sunset view over the ocean.
Dan admitted he missed the cosy family feel of a UK Christmas. 'Spending the day in the sun abroad just wasn't giving me that same Christmassy feeling,' he said, though his friends disagreed. Dan spent £1,200 on the trip, while his mates each spent around £2,500 on drinking and smoking.
He said he would recommend a Christmas in Tenerife only if you have no family to spend it with, or if your family joins you. 'If, like me, your family is all at home enjoying the day in the cosiness of a family home, I would recommend you join them.'
